Topic: Seriously considering this

[Bankerdanny]

http://janesville.craigslist.org/mcy/4292809942.html

I first read about this bike in the March 1983 Cycle (which I only recall because I have found copies of he article while researching the bike) as a senior in high school. I thought it was the coolest looking bike I had ever seen.

I've been keeping my eyes open for one with the full fairing for some time and it's hard to beat the price.

[LesterPiglet]

Unfortunately, producing an entirely new product from scratch is never without initial problems, and the Vision suffered from a few. An off-idle carburetion quirk, known as the "Vision stumble", meant the first year machines were prone to initial stuttering on part and full-throttle takeoff. The "Vision stumble" problem, after months of research, was finally solved by racer Marc Salvisberg, who later started Factory Pro Tuning. The problem, it seemed, wasn't a Yamaha development problem at all, but was actually a lean spot, just off idle, caused by what appeared to be residual casting sand that filled the off-idle bleed holes at the throttle butterfly plate in the Weber-style Mikuni carb. That information was immediately relayed to Yamaha U.S., where it was relayed to Japan and verified. The 1983 models carbureted essentially flawlessly.

Still couldn't go wrong at that price could you?


Here are some reviews. It seems the stators are a problem.

http://www.motorcyclesurvey.com/reviews/yamaha/xz550_vision/

http://www.xz550.com/

[Bankerdanny]

The electronic ignition module can be a problem too and a new one costs about as much as the bike.

The ad says '82, but that fairing is '83. I can't tell if it is the single or twin disk front end. I'm going to give the seller a call later today to get mileage and see if I can confirm the year.

I've just wanted one for 30 years and it's hard to pass up a (supposedly) ready to ride bike for so little. It would give me sonething to ride in early Spring while I try and move forward on my 550 project. Plus, I like the fully faired bike for longer trips. Really want to to Rt 66 out to Albuquerque and Phoenix to visit friends around April.

[LesterPiglet]

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/yamaha/yamaha_xz550r%2083.htm

This is the 83. The pic for the 82 doesn't have the fairing. Dunno how reliable that is though.

[seanbarney41]

I'd snap that up...never saw one with the fairing.

[Bankerdanny]

'82 was the naked version and '83 the fully faired version. The lowers have 3 position vents that allow to direct cool air from outside, warm air that passed through the radiator, or a mix of the two. It's a feature that stuck in my head from the 1983 Cycle review.

There are three magazine reviews of mid '80's bikes that really stick out for me: the '83 Vision in Cycle (3/83), the '82 VF750 Sabre also in Cycle, and the '83 Harley XR1000 in Cycle World (also 3/83 oddly enough).

I was searching for back issues on eBay and it's funny how many of the early 80's covers I remember.